Sacred Sword
by aegislash
Summary: A collection of short stories about a boy and his Aegislash.
1. Chapter 1

_Sacred Sword_

By: Rowen

* * *

I draw my sword. The grip feels familiar beneath my fingers, and the weight is comfortable in my hand. I slash at the empty air a few times—a warm up. The sword chirps. _Let's get going,_ it says.

It has never been the patient type.

Running head-first into the tall grass, I cut away the green blades that tear at my face and clothes. It's not long before another enemy joins the fight with the grass against me; a Pokemon, a wild Spinda, appears in the middle of the clearing in front of me. Steadying the sword in my hand, I set my feet and glance down at the sword.

_Perfect!_ it says. _Let's fuck it up!_

Creeping towards the Spinda, I wait until I'm a mere three feet away from it before making my move. I jump and point the sword down, planning the brain the drunken bear. But I'm not quiet enough—the Pokemon hears me. It side-steps to the left, and I miss. My blade digs into the ground and embeds in the soil.

"Shit," I say. "Shit shit shit—"

The bear unsheathes its claws and takes a swipe at my face. I duck. It takes another swipe, and I duck again. Then, it balls its hand into a fist and drives it straight at my cheek. Not expecting such a daring move, I freeze.

The bear's fist rams into my face makes a _crack!_ noise. Blood dribbles down my nose.

_Hurry!_ says my sword. _Get me out of here!_

Needing no further encouragement, I dig my boots into the dirt and pull with everything I have. The sword flies free of the dirt a second later, and I'm holding in my face by the time another has passed.

The bear is angry. Using its twisty footwork to its advantage, it circles me. Right, left, left, right, up, left—I have no idea what it will do next.

_Focus,_ my sword says. _And don't let it take you off guard again._

I nod. The bear comes at me again, this time with a Headbutt. I raise my sword to deflect it, and the metal clangs loudly when the bear-flesh rams against it.

Dizzy, the Spinda falls back a few steps. I see the opening, and rush forward. Holding my sword in both hands, I level the blade tip at the bear's heart. The bear has no time to block me, and barely even has time to gasp in surprise before the metal punctures its fur.

But that's all it does, because once a trail of blood starts to run down the bear's front, I reach into my pocket, pull out a PokeBall, and tap it against the bear's head. It shakes once, twice, three times in my hand, but does not open. Grinning like a mad man, I shout, "We got it, Aegislash! We really—"

_Yes, yes,_ says the sword. _We really got it._

Is it just me, or does it sound disappointed? Shaking my head, I decide that it's just me.

* * *

I pull my jar of honey out from my pack and screw open the lid. The sweet smell wafts up into my nose, and I grin. Sticking my hand in it—spoons are for losers—I dive right in.

It's not long before the Ariados find me.

Lured in by the honey, they peek their heads out of the grass. I don't see them just yet, but there's five of them, and they're surrounding me on all sides. The one on my left makes the first move—it creeps into the clearing and gnashes its fangs together. Spit dribbles down its spider chin, and I can hear its stomach rumble. Looking up, my eyes lock with the Ariados's.

My stomach drops to my feet, and so does the jar of honey. It shatters into a million pieces and stains my shoes with its yellow goodness. But I don't care about that right now, because there's currently a _giant spider_ staring me down like I'm the tastiest thing in the world.

I take a step back. And then another, and another. But it's not long before I run into Ariados #2. Stumbling forward, I trip and land flat on my face. The spiders are all around me now, and my heart is in my throat. It's beat its way out of my chest, and is choking me. My brain short-circuits, and I'm left staring, wide-eyed and terrified, at the spiders that keep getting closer and closer.

Aegislash, sensing my fear, forces its way out of its PokeBall. It lands with a clang on the dirt. _Jason,_ it says._ Pick me up!_

The spiders are staring at the sword. They're distracted—now's my chance. But I'm petrified; my arms and legs have turned to stone, and fear is frozen on my face.

_Jason,_ my sword says again. _Pick me up! Now!_

With shaking hands, I listen to it. The sword is relieved. The spiders focus back on me.

I want to run away.

_Listen,_ says the sword. _There are too many of them to slash and whack. You're going to have to try the Sacred Sword, and hope for the best._

I gulp. I remember the first time me and Aegislash attempted Sacred Sword—I nearly lost all the fingers on my left hand. And the second time, I nearly lost all the ones on my right. Glancing down at Aegislash, I ask, my voice as shaky as my hands, "A… Are you sure?"

_Yes._ Aegislash says. _And even if I wasn't, it doesn't look like we have any other choice._

The spiders come closer. The one on the far right raises its stingers, and the others quickly follow suit. Purple light envelops the stingers, and I know then that they're readying a Poison Sting attack.

"Aegislash—"

_Go!_

Focusing on my breathing, I steady it. In, out. In, out, in. Then, I clear my mind—or, try to. Thoughts of spiders still linger, but I'm calmer now; I'm less panicked. And that's what counts. Raising my sword into the air, I say, "Sacred Sword!"

White light flickers to life at the tip of Aegislash's blade. It soon spreads downward, until the steel of the blade is completely covered by it. Gritting my teeth, I put my fear aside. There's nothing but me and Aegislash here. There's nothing but me and Aegislash here. There's nothing—

The white light explodes out from Aegislash like a sound boom. It slams into the five Ariados, and slices them all in half, hamburger style. Green blood pours out from their red bodies and drips onto the dirt. They've all fallen. I swallow hard, staring one of them right in their glassy eyes.

_That was close,_ I think. _Too close._ And then I drag the back of my hand across my cheek. It's wet when I pull it away, and I frown. Bringing my hand up to my face, I look at it. There's blood on it. My blood.

"What…" I breathe. I raise Aegislash up in front of my face and look into the polished steel like it's a mirror. There are two huge cuts on my face. One of them runs from my eye down to my chin. The second one tears down from the side of my lip to my jaw.

Together, they look like a sword.


	2. Chapter 2

_Entry 2_

* * *

I lock eyes with a trainer standing by a tree. They come over to me and say, in a voice as dainty as a tea cup, "Care for a battle?"

I nod. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't say no. That's the unwritten rule—face whoever challenges you, and battle with pride. Grabbing Aegilash's PokeBall, I click the button. My sword appears in a flash of red light, and I snatch it out of the air before it can fall to the ground. "Ready for a fight?" I ask it.

_You bet,_ it replies.

My opponent smiles at me and says, "I've never battled an Aegislash before."

"Really?" I say. "Well, looks like you're gonna be able to cross that off your to-do list real soon, huh?"

They nod. And then, after rummaging around in their purse, they send out their Pokemon: a Linoone.

_Piece of cake,_ says my sword. I can't help but agree.

The battle starts. I set my feet and shift into my fighting stance. The Linoone and I square off. It sniffs the air and eyes me curiously. Then, my opponent says, "Lily, use Shadow Ball!"

My heart sinks into my shoes. The Linoone's throat fills with dark energy. Wisps of purple spill out over its lips. A ball comes to life on its tongue and grows and grows and grows while I watch.

_Move!_ my sword says._ Don't let it hit us!_

I dive to the side and raise my shield. Lily lets her attack fly, sending it soaring across the field. It clips my shoulder, and chill runs down my spine, and a burn fester on my skin. Then, I hit the ground, hard. My teeth rattle and my elbows ache. But I force myself back up anyway—it's our turn to attack.

"Aegislash," I say. "Should we try it again?"

_The Sacred Sword?_ asks Aegislash. _That would be brutal on a normal-type like Linoone. Let's go for it!_

If steel could grin, I'm sure my sword would be smiling the metal off its face right now.

Focusing on my center, I stand perfectly still. I listen to my heartbeat as it thumps in my ears. I feel the wind brush against my cheeks. I hear the Taillows chirp in a tree to my right. Raising my sword in front of me, I feel an ancient energy build at the hilt.

The right side of my face starts to burn.

I lose focus, confused. Did the Linoone scratch me? It couldn't have—it's all the way on the other side of the field.

The blue energy fizzles and pops. _Jason,_ my sword says. _We don't have much time!_

It's right; the Linoone is readying another Shadow Ball. With shaking hands, I close my eyes and raise my sword again. _I can do this,_ I think. Lightning crackles around Aegislash's hilt. It arcs up the blade until it reaches the tip. The right side of my face is on fire, but I ignore it.

The Linoone fires her second Shadow Ball. My eyes snap open and I bring my sword down, slicing the attack in half. Then, my ears buzzing with the power in my veins, I run towards the Linoone. She's frozen—shocked by what happened to her attack. I take the opening and go at it full swing, bringing my sword down on he shoulder with everything I've got in me.

Lily cries out, and falls to the ground. Blood pools around her feet. Her left arm lies, limp, on the grass, away from her body.

I drop my sword and, as if waking from a trace, fall to my knees next to her. "Shit," I say. "I'm—I'm so sorry, I—"

My opponent rushes to her Pokemon's side. "What in the world," they say. Their eyes are the size of dinner plates, and their mouth is set in an open-mouthed frown. "What… why was your face glowing like that? What—" They stop and look me right in the face. "What _are _you?"

I touch the right side of my face. It feels singed. Where the scar lines lie I feel fire. "I'm a person," I say shakily, but for some reason, it doesn't feel right.


	3. Chapter 3

_Entry 3_

* * *

My feet are leaving prints in the sand and Wingulls are singing over my head. Dewford's beach is always warm, so I never wear my shoes when I walk across it. When I reach the cave on the far side of the island—Granite Cave, says the tattered old sign beside the entrance—I slip my boots back on.

I can hear Zubats screeching within the cave. I go to tap Aegislash's PokeBall, but hesitate. After the Linoone Incident, I've been nervous about drawing my sword. Nurse Joy had been able to patch up the Linoone well enough, but it will never be able to walk normally again—not with three legs.

Making a split-second decision, I push the button down on the PokeBall to the left of Aegislash's. Spinda comes tumbling out. I bend down and pick it up, holding it in my arms like a child.

_Jason?_ it says. _Can we play today? Please? Please please please?_

I shake my head. "Maybe tomorrow, okay?" I say. "We have stuff to do today, and I need your help."

_Aw,_ says my Spinda, its head hanging low._ That's okay… I can wait! _Perking back up, it asks, _So what're we doin' today, huh? Are we goin' on an adventure? I love adventures! Especially when they're with you—they're a tonna fun!_

I smile. "You could say that." Patting Spinda's head, I start off into the cave. "Dad asked me to go get a package for him from some guy in this cave. He said his name was Reggie."

Spinda taps its mouth with its finger, thinking. _Reggie…? That's a cool name… what did your dad say you had to get from 'im?_

"I don't really know," I reply. "All he said was, 'Reggie will know what I mean.' Whatever _that's _supposed to mean…"

Water drips down the cave walls. I shift Spinda in my arms so that I only need one to hold it, and then run my hand along the wall to my right. It's dark in here—so dark that I can barely see three feet in front of my face. Something to my left shifts, growls, and comes into my line of vision.

It's a Mawile, and it looks angry.

"Spinda," I say. "Use Icy Wind!"

The insides of Spinda's throat freeze over. Ice rises into its mouth, and it takes a deep breath. Then, it blows a blast of frozen air at the wild Mawile. The Mawile flinches, but doesn't dodge.

Seconds pass. It doesn't move.

_Did I do it right?_ asks Spinda. _Did I freeze her?_

Carefully, I approach the Mawile. Crystals of ice glitter on her skin. "Yeah," I reply, "You did. Nice job!"

Spinda claps for itself. Pride bubbles to life in its dizzy eyes. I scratch its ear and keep moving.

It doesn't take me long to find Reggie—his house in the cave is like a beacon in the darkness. The door is illuminated with three lamps. The mat in front of it reads, STAY OUT.

Me and Spinda exchange glances. I raise my fist to knock on the door, but it opens before I get the chance.

"Whozzat?" says an old bearded man. "Whozzyou? Can't ya read, boy? Mah mat says stay out!"

Spinda growls. I take a step back. "Um… I'm sorry, but my dad—"

"I don't give a flyin' hoot about your dad!" the old man says. "Go away!" He spits in my face, and I flinch and shudder. Spinda bares its teeth and struggles to free itself from my arms, but I refuse to let it go.

"Sir," I say, my voice like tissue paper. The old man looks ready to slam the door in my face. "My dad's name is, uh… it's Anthony. Anthony Reiss? He said you'd—"

"That bastard," the old man says. "What's he want from me now?"

"Uh, well… he kinda… said you'd know…? When I told you?"

Reggie shakes his head and scowls. "Of course he did. Fuckin' cheat." He opens the door for me and walks inside. "He jus' had to go and send his fuckin' brat, didn't he? Goddammit… can't he ever do anythin' himzzelf?"

Me and Spinda exchange another glance. _I don't like this guy,_ Spinda says.

"Me neither," I say. And then I follow the old man into his base and shut the door behind me.

Reggie shuffles around the kitchen and pours two glasses of water. His hands shake while he does it. Raising an eyebrow, I wonder if it's because he's nervous about something, or just because he's old.

"Here," he says, shoving the glass under my nose. "Take it."

I do so. "Thanks," I say. Eyeing the muddy-looking water warily, I take a sip and promptly gag. Reggie glares at me as if he's daring me to say something about it. I grimace, and then chug the entire glass down in two gulps.

Reggie snorts.

Trying not to think about all the dirt I just shoved down my throat, I say, "So, uh… how do you know my dad?"

"It doesn't matter," Reggie says.

Silence fills the space between us, and is only broken when Reggie sighs. "Alright, alright," he says. "Me an' your good-for-nothin' father were spelunkin' buddies back in the day. We went all over the place—Sinnoh, Johto, Kanto, and… Hoenn." He scratches his chin. Flakes of dead skin fall from his beard into his drink. I try not to shudder, but fail miserably. "As you can see, we finally settled down here. But not after the bastard took every goddamn thing we'd ever found and hit the road."

I blink. "My dad stole your loot?"

Reggie bangs his fist on the table. "You bet your fuckin' shorts he did! He took everything and ran away with his Sinnohian girlfriend! He left me nothin', and—"

I raise my hands up in surrender. Spinda buries its face in my shirt. "Hey, hey," I say. "I'm sorry, but… Spinda doesn't like loud noises. Like, at all."

Reggie glares at the bear, but collects himself nonetheless. "My apologies," he says through clenched teeth. "I just happen t'get a little… worked up… whenever your father comes into the picture."

Without thinking, I say, "I can see why."

Reggie raises an eyebrow. "Ya do?" He squints. "But your his kid! Shouldn't ya be on _his _side?"

I hug Spinda tighter. "I'm sorry," I say again. "Forget said anything, okay?"

Reggie eyes me suspiciously. There's fear in my eyes and he can see it. "Kid," he says in the gentlest voice I've heard him use yet, "are you all right?"

I shiver. Fists and teeth and claws and snarls flash before my mind's eye. "Y-Yeah," I say. "J-Just peachy." I swallow thickly. "Please d-don't tell my dad what I said… he'll… I'll… _please_…"

Spinda pokes my cheek._ Jason? _it says, its voice laden with concern. _What's wrong?_

I grit my teeth and force myself out of That Bad Place. "N… nothing," I say. "I'm okay. Really—I'm fine."

Even I can tell it sounds like I'm trying more to convince myself than the person and Pokemon who'd asked.

Reggie eyes me carefully. "Kid," he says again. "I know your dad ain't the perfect person. You don't have to hide that from me."

I pull at my collar. Is it hot in here, or is it just me? "There's—I'm not… hiding anything, okay? I'm not hiding anything."

Reggie drops the subject. "So you came here to get something from me," he says, and then he stands up and walks back into the kitchen. "Well, I've got it. I don't really wanna give it to ya, though—it's the last thing I've got left from my diggin' times."

I breathe a sigh of relief. And then I peer into the kitchen, curious as to what he's rummaging around in the cabinets so frantically for.

When Reggie comes back, he's carrying a book. It's thicker than my hand on its side, and is covered in dust from edge to edge. "This," Reggie says, "is the only treasure I managed to keep your dad from takin' from me."

He sets it down on the table. I lean forward, and Spinda follows suit. "Book of Swords…?" I say, squinting down at the cover. Then, I look back up at Reggie. "What's it about?"

Reggie stares at me and deadpans, "Swords."

I open my mouth to reply, but I shut it before I can. Then, I snort. And laugh. And double over, clutching my stomach. Spinda hops onto my back and climbs its way up to my shoulders where it takes a seat.

Reggie looks at me like I've gone mad. "You sure you're all right, kid?"

I wave my hand in front of my face. "Ah… yeah. I just—… wasn't expecting that. I wasn't expecting—"

"Me to crack a joke?"

"…Yeah."

Reggie grins, and it's like a flower poking through cement. "Everyone's got their surprises, eh, kid?"

I open my mouth to reply, but again something stops me; the walls around me have started to shake. I look around, confused. "Wh—"

Reggie stands up. "Kid," he says, "we need t'get outta here. Now."

He grabs the book and shoves it at me. I almost drop it in surprise, but catch it at the last second. "Why?" I ask. "What's going on?"

Reggie is already out the door. "What do ya think?" he says. "We're havin' a quake!"

My stomach drops into my shoes. Earthquakes are bad outside of caves, but inside…

I make a break for the door. Once there, Reggie hands me a torch. I take it gladly, and we both start to run for the exit. Reggie is slower than me, and falls behind. I don't notice. Soon, I can taste fresh air, and see the fuzzy outline of the exit a feet meters away. But before I can step through the opening, the Mawile from earlier jumps in front of me. Its jaws are no longer frozen, and its eyes are red with rage.

"Spinda," I say, "Use Icy—"

But the Mawile has learned, and it won't be falling for that again. It moves fast, and brings its giant jaws forward. Snapping down on my leg, it digs its teeth into my flesh. I fall to my knees with a yelp. Blood pours down my pant leg and pools on the stone below me.

Spinda jumps in front of me. On all fours, it snarls at the Mawile. And then it releases a blast of frigid air that hits the wild Pokemon smack in the face. Not even a second after, Spinda balls its paw into a fist, and lets it fill with spinning, yellow energy. Then, it drives its fist forward, and shatters the frozen Mawile's face into a million tiny pieces. They fall to the floor, glittering in the dim light like stars in the night.

I stare. I stare and I stare and I stare.

Spinda comes back to me. It drags me up and out of the cave. Not a second later, the ceiling caves in.


End file.
